Alright, you have your Bibles this morning. Would you turn with me to first Thessalonians and chapter number five? chapter number five of first Thessalonians I'll be honest. I was I was a little nervous coming into these sections these last few sections of the book of first Thessalonians, but I'm thankful to report that my My anxiousness was comforted by the clarity of the Word of God. And so I'm thankful that the Lord helped me with that because these things can be trying. They can be difficult to work through and to preach and teach. And also what's most challenging is taking positions that are contrary to the popular opinion of our day. If you understand what I mean, that is very challenging, especially when you're dealing with what we're looking at, and that is the study of eschatology, or the study of the end times. It's a little bit like armpits, right? Everybody's got opinions, and most of them stink, right? So we don't want opinions. Amen. We just want the truth and we want what God's word says to us. And so that is my goal. That is my endeavor here as we continue our way through first Thessalonians and chapter number five. If you found that and you're able, would you stand with me in honor of reading God's word this morning, we're going to take a big chunk. And I hope I'm not too ambitious in that. 1 Thessalonians 5, we're going to look at verses 1 through 11. The Word of God says, Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying there is peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever. Amen and amen. Thank you for standing. You may be seated. You would keep your place there in first Thessalonians and turn with me back to Matthew's gospel and chapter number 13 Matthew's gospel and chapter number 13 The title of the message today is the day of the Lord the day of the Lord As we finished up last week looking at chapter 4 and We've seen that what is commonly referred to as the rapture of the church there in verses 13 to 18, or a more literal translation is a catching up or a snatching out of the believers in Christ as Christ descends from heaven with a cry of command, the voice of an archangel with the sound of the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive who are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air So we will always be with the Lord. So there's just a reminder of where we've been last week now I pause here for just a minute because I want to clarify here a position that I believe most of you understand or maybe not. I don't know. I don't want to assume. So when you come to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and then transition into chapter number 5, There, and I'm not, this is factual, and you can listen to, I can point you to, I'm not going to tell you from the pulpit, you know, who to go listen to, but if you want to clarify that this statement is true, I can show you who to listen to, or where you can find these things explained. But you heard the text that we just read in 1 Thessalonians chapter five. And most, I believe it's safe to say most, would today say, well, there's a great time period between the coming of the Lord and the day of the Lord, or the return of Christ there in 1 Thessalonians 4, and then in chapter 5. In other words, people see a gap of time. Now, this is just reasoning on my part, and hopefully it makes sense to you as well, is that if there was such a long period of time between chapter 4 and the events of chapter number 5, don't you think the Apostle Paul would have mentioned such a thing? It's safe to say that He didn't necessarily disconnect and furthermore when this letter was written There was no chapter and verse divisions Okay, and so the thought the popular opinion of this is that there's a gap between four and five The catching up of the church and the day of the Lord which the day of the Lord according to our text is a day of the wrath of God Okay So the question that we have to ask is, is there a separation between the day of the Lord and the coming of Christ to snatch the church away? That's the question. And I also want to add to the conversation that the view of this long period of time, namely a millennium, right? We speak of a millennium found in Revelation, chapter number 20 And it's let me also point out that it's the only place in the entirety of scripture that a millennium is mentioned The Apostle Paul does not speak of a millennium anywhere in his writings zero And that's a matter of fact However, however, the millennium itself, this long period of time, what does it exactly mean? We're not going to get into it today because we don't have time. We don't have time. But suffice it to say this, is that if there is a long period of time between 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Thessalonians 5, it's certainly not very clear to the Christians in Thessalonica that that would be true. The other thing is that those who would teach that 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Thessalonians 5 are miles apart, so to speak, years apart, they also say that the Christians spoken of in chapter number 4 would not be present in chapter number 5. But it's also very clear to us as we look at the text, the Apostle Paul was writing to the believers there as though they could experience this. Not as though they would be absent and separated from what was taking place there. Does that make sense? Now, to add to the clarity or confusion, however you take it, Matthew chapter 13, we have a parable. This parable is one of the kingdom parables. It's a parable that the Lord Jesus specifically was teaching us about eschatology, that study of the end times. In verses 24 through 30, we have the parable. In verses 36 through 43, we have the parable explained. Let's read the parable. Chapter 13 of Matthew, beginning to read in verse 24, Jesus says, He put another parable before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore again, then the weeds appeared also, and the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? He said to them, An enemy has done this. So the servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and gather them? But he said, no, lest in gathering the weeds, you root up the wheat along with them. Here's a key verse. Let both of them grow together until the harvest. And at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn. It's a pretty clear parable, pretty clear statement there in verse number 30. Now let's go to the parable explained. Chapter 13, verse 36. Then he left the crowds, this is Christ, and he went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field. He answered, The one who sows the good seed is the son of man, the field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom, the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. Let me just pause. Is everybody with us here? Right? When is the harvest taking place? At the end of the age. Don't turn there, but connect the dots from the end of the age to what the Apostle Paul is calling the day of the Lord. Is it the same event? Yes, it absolutely is the same event back in Matthew 13 the son of man verse 41 the son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all lawbreakers and Throw them into the fiery furnace in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth Then the righteous will shine like the Sun in the kingdom of their father He who has ears Let him hear. I don't know how else to explain that parable, but the way in which the Apostle Paul Writing his letter it it to me and again. I I don't I don't want to be too forceful with this because There are good Faithful brothers who disagree on these things okay? Eschatology is not a primary doctrine A primary doctrine is one that we must never agree on. The gospel itself is a primary doctrine. If we believe in any other gospel but Jesus Christ died for sinners and through faith and trust in him, by grace alone, you are saved. If we don't agree on that, we're not in the same camp. Period. Right? But we can disagree on the end times. and still fellowship across disagreements. Because it's not a primary, it's not a salvation concern, okay? Does that make sense? So I'm saying this because right now, There's no doubt probably some that have endeavored to study eschatology far more than others, and that's a good thing. I don't think that that's bad or wrong. I think it's good that we make it a point to study and to study deeply. However, I refuse to major in the minors. You understand? Refused to do it, but I also refuse I also refuse To skirt around the clarity of what is before us okay? So let's go back to first Thessalonians chapter number five The Apostle Paul want to point out on the front end ends this pericope this this paragraph the same way that he did in chapter number four and chapter number four verse 18 The whole force and the thrust of the text was what? Encourage one another with these words. In other words, if we fail to find encouragement in and give encouragement from these things, we have totally missed the point of them, right? Totally missed the point of them and he repeats this again again in chapter 5 verse 11 therefore encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing so there's encouragement in these things there's clarity and information in these things, but there's also mystery in these things and that's where we begin verse number 1 through 5 and The Apostle Paul tells us to be aware. We need to be aware. He says concerning the times and seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. Here's the question. Is he imposing that thought because they already knew? Or is he imposing that thought because it's not for them to know? And actually, I think that both of them, to one degree or another, are actually the case. Because he says in verse 2, for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. In other words, they had understood certain aspects of the day of the Lord. They understood the aspects specifically that the Apostle Paul had obviously taught them while they were with them for those few short weeks that we looked at in Acts chapter 17. Timothy then goes back to check in on the church no doubt offering instruction and guidance in in understanding Studying the Word of God which at that point in time would have consisted of the 39 books of the Old Testament Okay And so he was not telling them to turn to revelation, right? He was telling them, look in Isaiah or something like that. By the way, the day of the Lord is mentioned a lot of times in the Old Testament. And the day of the Lord in the Old Testament is most commonly, is most commonly referred to as a day of judgment. It's a day of the consummation and culmination of God's divine plans and works ending in a period or a time of judgment. And so Paul says here in 1 Thessalonians that they need to be aware of, and the first thing they need to be aware of is of what you're not supposed to know. In other words, it's not a matter of what you should know But a matter of what you shouldn't know and he uses this phrase here in in acts or I'm sorry in first Thessalonians 1 5 1 times and seasons now Times and seasons should be a familiar thought to us because It's it was also said by Christ, and we've read it I believe numerous times already in Acts chapter 1 Acts chapter 1 and verses 6 and 7 this is this is when Christ is Getting ready to ascend into heaven it says when they had come together they asked him Lord Will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel? This is Jesus response. It is not for you to know Times or seasons that the father has fixed by his own authority in other words when it comes to when it comes to the times and the seasons now the word times in Greek is Kronos the word seasons is Kairos they both refer to the recording or keeping track of time. Kronos is a specific time. It's 1023, in case you were wondering, AM. That's the Kronos. It is, is it summertime yet? It's not yet. We're not in the summer solstice. So it's springtime. That's the Kairos, right? It's a time, but it's a season. Specific general and he says it's not for you to know the specific or the general That the father has fixed by his own authority So there's a there's an emphasis here in what the Apostle Paul saying is not only have we spoke about these things before But let me remind you there's certain things you're not supposed to know I find it extremely interesting that throughout the course of Church history, you know for nearly 2,000 years now every generation has had its date setters Every generation has had its date setters. The Lord is going to return. God spoke to me. That's how they preface it. God spoke to me and he's coming back on June 16th, 2025 at 1600 hours and four minutes. And guess what? You can bank on it. Whenever he's coming, it's not going to be then. and people Ignore the clarity of what we're not supposed to know and why do they do it? I'll tell you why most of them do it because 88 reasons why Christ will return in 1988 sold nearly a thousand or a thousand a million copies Because why? people want to know They want to know what does he know that we don't I'll tell you what he knows, what you don't. He knows how to disobey God's word. And to do it blatantly, right? And so what happens is when that time and date comes, they have to write another book and explain to you why they missed it. And they just, man, they got to get their hearing checked because they thought God said this when in fact he said that. And they continue to show themselves ignorant and stupid time and time again. Listen. There are things we are not supposed to know. And the first one is, when He's coming, we're not supposed to know. It's not given to us to know. Christ Himself, while He was here on earth, purposefully withheld that from His knowledge. He says, not even the Son of Man knows the day, nor the hour. when the Father will send him, right? So it's not for us to know. There are some things that we're not supposed to know. And the coming of Christ, the day, the hour, the season and times is one of them. But he does give us some clarity on what we should focus on, right? And what is that? He says there in verse number two, for you yourselves are fully aware, you understand this, you know this, that the day of the Lord will come and it'll come like a thief in the night. Now, has anybody here ever had their home broken into? Maybe a car or something you've ever had something stole Wow nobody here you you all must be gun toters Now there are hands now there are hands now Question Did you get a notice in the mail Gordy before the thief showed up? Now they don't tell you they're coming right as a matter of fact that would kind of defeat the purpose Now, God is not to be compared to a thief, alright? That's not at all what Jesus, or what the Apostle Paul, or Christ himself, was speaking about. But it was showing us the manner in which the return would take place. The thief comes, and he comes unexpectedly. He comes in a moment and a time at a place where you're not expecting it to happen. But because it's a thief in the night, it is done. And this is where people get the idea of the secret nature of the rapture. And that's totally missing the point. When the thief shows up, Most of the time this is just as this is an observation most thieves are not very smart And which is probably why they're stealing in the first place, but anyway When a thief comes because they're not usually very smart. There's things that they do, there's mistakes they make. Again, these comparisons have their limits because Christ is not a thief. We understand the imagery, the picture here is it's coming when you're not necessarily anticipating that it will come. And the focus and the thrust of this is you should always be prepared and anticipating the coming of Christ. I don't think we should live in fear of a thief breaking into our house every single night, but I think we should go to bed thinking to ourselves, it may be tonight. Christ may come tonight. Let me ask you this. When's the last time you stopped and you thought to yourself, Christ might come today. Have you ever had that thought? Do you commonly have that thought? I think it's a thought that we should have regularly. Amen. Because we don't know when it's going to happen, but we should be anticipating it. And so what we're not supposed to know is when, but what we're supposed to focus on is that he's going to come when we least expect it. Then next, be aware of how the world will be functioning. Notice what he says in verse number three. This is what's going to be happening when the Lord returns. While people are saying there's peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. In other words, the day, the season, and time that Christ returns, people are going to be, I'm OK. You're okay. We're all okay. See we're all okay These crazy Christians they say there's coming a day of God's judgment, but I'm fine. You're fine We're all we're all okay peace and security Right and and and by the way, is that not what we prize the most as Americans peace and security? Huh? I was just having a conversation last night with a friend on the phone and and he said that he recently heard from a Chinese a missionary to the Chinese and As of right now the figures if they're accurate China has more more Christians than America does What's crazy about that is China is a heavily persecuted area for Christians to be I said, you know, it's not by chance that that's the truth because historically the church has grown the most when it's been persecuted the worst and What do we pride ourselves in? Peace and security we want we want everything like even now. It's not a bad thing It's a blessing that we can meet here today without fear that we're going to be broken into right and once in a while the exception happens and in a place of worship like this and an assembly like this will be disrupted by some kind of Sick mind, but by and large. That's not the case right, but you go to to North Korea or or to China or Some place where Christians are heavily persecuted and those people are sleeping with one eye open right Because they know at any moment their peace and security It's non-existent right But here, the world is going to be functioning in such a way that they're saying peace and security, and what happens when you're in peace and security? You're not ready. You're not prepared, right? By the way, the Bible also says it's better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting. In other words, it's good for us all to go to funerals. You know, those things they used to have. Why is it good for us to go to funerals? So that the living will lay it to heart and understand and remember that this is the end of all mankind. So it's good for us to go there, but it's also good for us to remember that just because things are going well today, Doesn't mean that destruction is not around the corner because that's exactly what he says will happen. Then destruction will come. Destruction. The word is Olathras. It means to kill, to destroy, and to ruin. Sudden ruin. Sudden destruction. Sudden ruin will come. Hey, go back to our parable in Matthew chapter 13. What did we see there? When the reaper comes, what's going to happen to the tares that are separated from the wheat? They're going to be bundled and what? Thrown into the fire. Man, I can't think of a greater way to bring about ruin and destruction than with fire. Burns it up. Consumes it. And notice the imagery or the illustration here that is used, labor pains. They'll destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman and they will not escape now I gotta admit that this was this was a little bit of a challenge when I thought about it because You know, when a woman has labor pains, she knows that someday that those labor pains are going to set in because her belly is steady getting bigger, right? Now, I've witnessed this four times, okay? But I've also witnessed something else four times. And that is, in moments leading up to the day of delivery, there's these things that women have called, correct me ladies if I get it wrong, but I think it's Braxton Hicks. Is that right? Did I say it right? Braxton Hicks. Okay. So what they do is guys, since you've never experienced this, uh, Braxton Hicks will show up and, and what you'll see is your, your wife will say, Ooh, You're like are you okay? What's the matter? I'm not sure I just I just had a contraction. I think well Braxton Hicks are I look this up because I'm not well versed in these things Braxton Hicks are medically coined practice Contractions and what it's doing is it's preparing the uterus for labor, okay? So get this Paul says, sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. Now, Braxton Hicks can last a long time or not. There again is what? The uncertainty of it. But the point is, the point is that sometimes there are events that take place that resemble what's actually going to happen, but it's what? It's a false alarm. Now, this is, and when I thought about this, it makes perfect sense now because my wife can verify, and I don't wanna make this about, I share a lot of personal stories, but it's because they, You know, that's my world I'm living in. But anyway. She's going to kill me. I think at least twice out of our four children, she has. Always at night when I want to sleep. She'll be like, oh, I think it's I'm not sure. And I'm like, go to bed. It's just practicing Hicks. You're not due for another three weeks Well guess what? The doctors can get due dates wrong Hello Just like the prophets of the day of Christ returned So what does it do? For some of us not necessarily the women but for some of us it says We've this was this is the the 15th false alarm. You're not going to get me the 16th time But guess what? That's the time it's going to happen. Right? Then labor pain suddenly comes. So listen, should we pay attention to the things that are happening in our world? Yeah, we should. But listen, don't sit and read the newspaper as if it's your Bible. Or nobody does that anymore don't sit and look at MSNBC or Fox News or wherever you get your information what's happening around the world? Do not pay attention to those things as if it has the same authority as the Word of God See what's happening. Remember Christ is coming and if the world's getting crazy, you know, it's getting close Amen It's so simple. Be aware of how the world is functioning. And then next thing is, be aware of what you are aware of. Seems redundant, but notice what he says in verse number four. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. Pause. Remember I said that there are those who believe that the Christians are not present here in 1 Thessalonians chapter number five. Again, if that is true, then somebody tell me why would Paul say that that day would surprise you like a thief? I find it completely contradictory to even think that Paul would be giving an unrealistic scenario to this church. That this would never, although this would never happen, by the way, you're not in darkness for that day to surprise you like a thief. So then, let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober." Again, if they were not even remotely thought of being present, why would he have to give them that instruction? It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I'm sorry, I went too far already. Be aware of what you're aware of. That you're not in darkness, and this day should not surprise you like a thief. Why? Because you are children of light. or children of the day, you're not children of the night, or children of darkness. So he makes this contrast between light and darkness, day and night. The children of God, the church here in Thessalonica, were not of the night, they were not of darkness, because they had the light of the Word of God that shone into their lives. In other words, the reason that you're not in darkness is because first and foremost, the gospel of Jesus Christ has come to you and shown the truth, the light of the truth. Jesus being the light of the world has shown that into your hearts and has opened your eyes and your ears and your minds to comprehend and know that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Messiah and that he's coming again to save his people and to judge the world in righteousness. You're not of the night. For you are children of the light children of the day. We're not of darkness or of night So then what what is the instruction? so then Stay awake, be sober, right? So it takes us to our next point. Be aware, but also be anticipating. Oh, and by the way, the force and the thrust of be aware is read your Bibles, right? Study the word of God. Studying the word of God is going to inform and encourage your hearts because this is going to happen, right? This is not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. All right, so verse 6, be anticipating, be anticipating. So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober. So by being sober, he's talking specifically about the sobriety of your heart and your mind. He is he's referring here. So then let us not sleep. That is don't don't get Don't get lethargic in your thinking don't get lethargic. Don't get sleepy headed and Your in your disciplines in other words the emphasis here is that we should never ever allow ourselves because Because the Lord is tarrying to enter into a careless concern for your spiritual discipline in other words that would be That would be to act as the world does. That you would be getting drunk and drunk in the night. Now, I honestly don't believe that this is a wet text. In other words, Paul's not speaking about alcohol here. Do we know that the Bible teaches us not to get drunk? Yes. But he's using that imagery here to actually point us to a reality of the sobriety of our minds, the sobriety of our hearts, that we're not to get, listen, we're not to get intoxicated in a sleeping kind of way with the things of this world. It's so easy, is it not, to be drawn away in our thoughts, in our lives by the cares, the concerns, and the possessions of this life. It's so easy to fall into that trap. And Paul says, don't do it. Don't sleep as others do. Stay awake. Be sober. The word awake there, it means to be vigilant, to be watchful, and to be sober. Clear thinking for those who sleep sleep at night and those who get drunk get drunk at night, but because we belong to the day Be anticipating because of who you belong to right we're anticipating this we're staying awake and being sober Because we belong to the day In other words, what Paul means by that is we belong to those who walk according to the truth that has been revealed to us. In other words, the world is going to go on living like the world does because they don't live by the truth revealed. They reject and suppress the truth in unrighteousness, and thereby they can walk and be happy in their walk, in their sin, and in their ignorance. But we can't do that because we're children of the day. Because the light has come to us and we walk according to the truth that has been revealed to us. And listen, when a Christian does not walk according to truth that has been revealed to them, they are a walking, talking contradiction and a time bomb. Because God will do what he has to, when he has to, to get your attention back on him. Amen. He does. We don't walk according to those who are drunk and work in the night. We walk according to the day. Because also, because of what God has done for us. Notice where Paul goes next. He says, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation, The armor of God has equipped the children of God for this battle against the darkness and the drunkenness of the culture. The breastplate of faith and love are illustrative of the gospel's work to protect your hearts by faith, in love, and are illustrated of the gospel's work in your life and your love for the Lord Jesus Christ. That is our breastplate of faith and the hope of our full and final salvation serves as a helmet to protect our minds from the lies of the evil one. So we're putting on the breastplate of faith and love, the helmet, the hope of salvation. And we're warring against these things, right? This is the imagery that Paul's using. This is not a passive activity, right? This is a full frontal attack, the breastplate of faith and love, the helmet of salvation. We're fighting against the schemes of the devil and the spirit of this age. Again be anticipating because we are saved in the day of the Lord notice what he says in the in verse number nine For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ Who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep We might live with him now verse 9 is a key text in The view that that we've spoken much about and I'm I'm saying that it's a view that is faulty Okay, they will point to this and they'll say see verse number 9 says we're not appointed or we're not a destined for wrath Correct, we're not. Why are we not destined for wrath? Because wrath is speaking of divine judgment. We are destined for what? Salvation, not for wrath. But does that mean that we will not witness wrath? No. I think it's quite clear that we will. In other words, listen, if the timing would go something like this, that Christ would come and before He pours out His wrath, He raptures up, if you want to call it that, or snatches out the church, and it says we meet Him in the air. Now, it doesn't say we go away from there. Does anybody see that in the text? No, it says we'll meet Him in the air, and so we will always be with Him. In other words, from that moment on, whatever it looks like after that, there's one thing that's certain. We're going to be with Christ. What's also interesting, and I've got to just point this out, is that those who teach this gap theory between the rapture and the day of the Lord will also say that we're taken away and Christ is rolling here. Would that not mean we're separated from Him? Yeah, there's a problem with that. Because Paul says we're going to always be with him. No more separation. So, anyway, anyway. we're saved in the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is a certain day and it's a day of wrath and it's a day of wrath for those who in unrighteousness have suppressed the truth. But for those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ it is the day of obtaining the reward of our faith. Salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us that we might live with Him. Again, the emphasis is continually pointing us to the work of the cross of Christ and the glory that awaits us because of His life, death, and resurrection. That's the whole point. We are being encouraged, being assured that in this day we are going to be saved. We're not going to experience His wrath. We're going to obtain, Paul says, to obtain salvation. through the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who died for us, so that whether we're alive or dead, awake or asleep, that we might live with Him. Right? Again, the point is that we're going to be with Christ. Then finally verse 11 be affirming be affirming be affirming by encouraging one another it's exactly what he says therefore Encourage one another to come alongside of one another Remind each other of the hope we have in God because of what Christ has done for us a picture like this You just watch the news your phone rings and it's your friend and your friend calls you and they say do you see what's going on in Los Angeles and Huh? Did you see what's happening out there? And what do we say? Aren't you glad that God hasn't destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ? Aren't you glad that the world's going to get crazier and crazier until the day of the Lord comes? But you know what? In all this craziness, God is good. God is faithful and we don't have to be moved by these things because he has made us fully aware of it that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night and when the labor pains are coming upon us we should not be sleepy and we should not be like the husband that says go to bed right but we should be sober we should stay awake because we're children of the day not get tied up in the craziness but be looking for that eastern sky to bust wide open and hear the sound of the trumpet and the cry of command like the archangel and The Lord will descend and he's going to call listen. He's going to call your name Gonna hear your name cried out come Come unlike the day when Lazarus was called from the grave Jesus only called Lazarus and But in the day he comes to call his children home, every single one of us, at the very same time, are going to hear our own names. Man, I can't wait. Encourage one another. Encourage one another. Comfort one another because of these things. Edify one another. That means build one another up to supply what's lacking for the good of and the prosperity of one another. Here's the question. Here's the question. Does your presence help build others' faith, or does it complicate and challenge it? Let me say that again. If we're edifying one another, if we're building one another up, does your presence help build someone else's faith, or does it complicate and challenge it? We need to be building up one another. And we need to be affirming by affirming one another. Look for ways to affirm the work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in each other, exactly the same way that the Apostle Paul encouraged the Thessalonians. When you see somebody else and they're trying and they're doing the best they can, right? be affirming of them, compliment, encourage, build up, strengthen, love. These are the things that we are to be doing while we are waiting, right? Listen, we just went camping this past week. And while you're waiting to go, a lot of times what happens is the kids will be bored. And so what do they do? They pick at each other. And the only reason they do that is because they're not thinking about where we're headed. They're thinking about, there's not much to do right now. And so I'm just gonna agitate each other. Can I tell you that's exactly opposite of what we're to be doing while we're anticipating. Right? We're to be encouraging, building up and affirming. The Christian life is patterned by a focus on two things primarily. Two things. The glory of God and the good of his people. Let's not miss, first, let's not miss the point of this text. Right? The point of this text is clear. Christ is coming. He's going to come to judge. He's coming to save those who are his. And we don't know when, but we need to be ready. Right? That's the point. Don't complicate it beyond that. It's not complicated. It's clear. It's straightforward. And it's comforting. Because God has told us exactly what we need to know. Nothing more and nothing less. Amen? The most important thing is, because He's coming, He's coming to save His people and judge the world. So then, what do we need to be doing? We need to be proclaiming the gospel until he comes so that every man, woman, boy, and girl that is under our influence of gospel ministry can hear the truth. And by hearing the truth that God may save them and bring them to himself. Maybe you're here today. Maybe you're here today and you think, man, I'm not sure about all these things. Well, you might not be sure about it, but listen, the word of God is clear on it. It's clear. And if you have not trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, whether you're six years old or whether you're 96 years old, the solution is the same. If you do not trust and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, you will not be saved. You will not be. You can expect the fiery judgment of Matthew 13. You can expect the day of the Lord to be a day of wrath, unless you believe upon Him. Why would we, Terry, why would we refuse such a plain and glorious offer to be saved? And to be saved today, amen? This is the priority of our lives until Christ come, that we would live the gospel, that we would proclaim the gospel, and it's your responsibility to believe the gospel. Let's pray. Father, we thank and praise you for the encouragement of your word. And Father, although there's so much mystery and there's so much Lord that we could unpack and that we've left Untracked today. We know God that your word is clear and father. I pray that you would help us to especially have faith in you within the mystery that exists in your word and That through this God we would truly learn what it is to walk by faith and not by sight Lord this world is is is definitely a changing place and Lord, we see things today that we never imagined we would see. And yet God, we think to ourselves, we can't believe that you haven't come already. So Lord, we know that Lord, our perception is not always accurate, but we know God, your timing is perfect. So Lord, I pray that even through the midst of our uncertainties, the moments God, when our faith is faltering And when our relationships are fickle, I pray God that you would help us. Help us, Lord, to look upon Christ and remember that He who has promised is faithful and He will do it. And so Lord, I pray that you would help us to be watching and waiting. And when the day of the Lord appears, that you would not find us sleeping with lamps that have gone out, but rather that our wicks would be trimmed, our oil would be topped off, and God, we would be ready to receive you as you receive us. Thank you, Lord, for the promise of eternity with you through faith in Jesus. And I pray that every man, woman, boy, and girl in this place here today knows you as Lord and Savior. And we'll give you the thanks and the praise for it all in Jesus' name.